Wolf People II
by Aeshna Lacrymosa
Summary: SEQUEL to "Wolf People": The white tiles that covered the floor and walls of the bathroom were splattered with blood. At the corner of the room stood the man Leah loved. It was a nightmarish scene, but there was no waking up from it because it was real.
1. Chapter 1

_Wolf's Fate_

The curtains were barely enough to filter the bright street lights. But when Leah awoke just a little before three in the morning, she spied a thin slat of light from the bathroom. She reached for her husband's arms but found his side of the bed empty. It was not an unusual occurrence, but something didn't feel right. Her nostrils caught a faint smell of metal. Leah's eyes opened wide; she was too familiar with the scent of _blood_.

"Nanuq?" she called, hurrying to the bathroom.

Leah gave a short scream when she found dark bloodstains on the bathroom tiles. Each drop on the floor was as fresh as the smears on the walls. There was barely a spot left white on the floor alone. "Nanuq?" she called again, tearing her eyes away from the blood to look for him. There, at the corner of the bathroom stood Nanuq, holding a knife with one hand and lifting the front of his shirt with the other. His clothes bore even more blood than the tiles.

He was murmuring something Leah could not understand. Leah guessed he must be speaking in Inupiaq, his native tongue. He was examining his bloody stomach. There were several cuts there, alternately deep and shallow. But each slash shrank slowly before her eyes.

"Nanuq, what are you doing?" sobbed Leah, who gripped the wrist holding the knife.

That was when he learned she was there. He abruptly stopped murmuring and looked at her with bloodshot eyes. "It just keeps healing," he told her softly. His eyes widened and his lips curled into a seemingly triumphant smile. "It just keeps healing!" he repeated, as though this piece of information was something new and foreign to him.

#

Leah opened the trunk and took out two miniature trolley cases for her children. "Be nice to Uncle Seth and remember to clean after yourselves, alright?" said Leah sternly.

Eight-year-old Joel and five-year-old Dinah nodded automatically. "Yes, Mommy," they said.

Both Joel and Dinah had round faces and slit eyes like their Inupiat father. But they had also inherited their Quileute mother's firm nose, shapely lips and strong chin.

She smiled weakly at the children while her brother went out of the house to pick up their things. "Oh, you both have grown so big!" exclaimed Seth, as he bent down to kiss and hug Joel and Dinah, both of whom he hadn't seen since Dinah's third birthday.

"You don't need me to carry your things, do you?" asked Seth.

"No, Uncle Seth," said Joel, who held his sister's hand as they both dragged the cases into the house. Seth watched the two momentarily and then glanced at Nanuq, who was waiting patiently in Leah's van.

Once the children were inside the house, Seth asked Leah, "Is he okay now?" He recalled her frantic phone call from earlier that morning.

"He was not quite himself when he did it. Moments after I entered the bathroom he snapped out of it. He even helped me clean up. But his consoling me just didn't comfort me. That had never happened to Nanuq before!" said Leah, her voice shaking. "Had I found him later, who knows what else he could have done?"

"How long has it been? … I suppose being a werewolf—transforming like that every month for twenty years would take its toll on him. Dr. Cullen, he—" Seth abruptly held his tongue and looked worriedly at his sister's eyes, as though wishing he hadn't said it in the first place.

"What does Dr. Cullen know about Children of the Moon?" asked Leah in a low voice. When Seth hesitated, Leah roughly shook her brother, demanding, "Tell me!"

"He heard this from the Volturi, so this might be biased," warned Seth in a single breath.

"What's going to happen to Nanuq?" urged Leah.

"A-a-according to the stories he heard, most werewolves lose their humanity …" Seth tried to explain. He grimaced when Leah became shocked. He hastily continued, "H-h-he said it-it's like they go crazy, _wild_ even in human form, usually by the fortieth or fiftieth year."

"So it's a _gradual_ thing?" asked Leah softly.

"I suppose," said Seth, glancing at Nanuq, who was watching them innocently.

Leah looked like she would faint. But she drew a long shuddering breath and held firm. "No … not my Nanuq …" she whimpered. She remembered the day she first met him, in a café below their apartment where he told her she was beautiful. She remembered their first kiss in the elevator and the first coupling that followed. Although their ten years together had indeed been punctuated with occasional rages during Nanuq's heroin withdrawals, there was no question that Nanuq loved Leah. The way he'd held her hand and kissed her when she'd borne each of their children proved it. He was not perfect, but Leah had sworn repeatedly that she would give herself to no other man. Things had been going so well! Death was not stealing him away from her but his own ruin is? Leah would not have it!

"Leah, I'm sorry!" pleaded Seth, not for his brother-in-law's grim tidings but for having said it.

Leah threw her arms around her brother's neck. "I love him so much!" she wailed.

Heartbroken by his wife's grief, Nanuq got off the van. But Leah threw him a piercing look, silently ordering him to stay in the vehicle. Nanuq instantly obeyed and went back inside.

"So what do you plan to do?" asked Seth.

Leah composed herself and nudged the dust with her shoe. "If I could at least postpone what you were saying about Children of the Moon, I'm doing whatever it takes," she said. "If we don't make it back by the end of summer, I'm sending you money to get the kids to go to school here."

Seth glanced at Nanuq again. He looked a bit nervous this time as he observed Leah's body language. "Alright, I'll be taking care of your kids," promised Seth. "Just be careful."

Leah had imagined never leaving Nanuq's side. They might stay away from densely populated areas for several weeks. Leah envisioned still being there while he transforms into a gigantic arctic wolf. She clenched her fists. She might have to summon her shape-shifting powers again; she might have to protect him from passing vampires. … "I will be careful, Seth, for my husband's and my children's sakes," she said. She hugged her brother again, gently this time, before going to the van.

Joel and Dinah were at the door, waving at their parents. Leah smiled and waved back. "We're missing you already!" she called.

Leah turned serious again when she started the van.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Nanuq anxiously.

"I'm not losing you," said Leah in a low voice without taking her eyes off the road.

Nanuq didn't know what to say. Even he had seen the blood on the floor. There was no way he could say that she ought to not worry about him anymore.

They have traveled past Seattle when Leah asked, "How many times do you take heroin?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just answer me!" snapped Leah.

"As many as three times—why?" asked Nanuq nervously.

"From now on, you'll take only _twice_ a day," commanded Leah.

"Two shoots a day!" exclaimed Nanuq. "Are you—?"

Leah glared at him and interrupted, "On the week after next, you'll have it only _once_ a day."

Nanuq was rattled. "What the …? _Are you trying to kill me?_" he demanded.

"Don't shout at me!" said Leah. "And even if I were trying to kill you, it is not possible: you can't die."

"That's not the point! … Leah, you can't do this to me!"

Leah grimaced and pulled over the van. She struggled to maintain composure as she faced her husband. "What do you think I should do?" she said. "I think your habit is making your mind deteriorate fast. It might not be disintegrating your body but your mind. I will not lose you that way! I think if we control your drug dependence, we could at least postpone your losing yourself. And if we go to Alaska … maybe, if we go to where you became infected, we might get help.

"In any case, I've already bought you some maintenance drugs and alternative painkillers. I've been doing a lot of research on how to help you without having to go to the rehab center. …"

"How long are we gonna do this?"

"As long as it takes," said Leah, gritting her teeth.

Nanuq was barely listening. He was close to panicking. "I'm gonna die. … I'm gonna die. …"

Leah cupped his face with her hands. "No, Nanuq, you will stay with me. From here on out, I will not leave you. I will not leave you," said Leah. She kissed his trembling lips to seal her promise.

Back in La Push, Seth was watching his nephew and niece playing with the kids in the reservation. Leah's children were distinguishable by their Inuit eyes.

Jacob arrived at Seth's porch with Renesmée, almost seventeen years old. "Hi, Seth," he said. "I heard Leah stopped by. She didn't even say hello."

"She was in a hurry," explained Seth. "She made her kids stay with me while she takes Nanuq out of town. I think she intends to sort of self-rehabilitate him. Something's wrong with him."

"Those are Leah's kids?" asked Renesmée, her soft brown eyes gazing at the two children she had never seen before. "They look beautiful like their mother."

"I don't see much of Leah in them," said Jacob softly. Then he became stern, asking Seth, "Are you saying Leah is going to put Nanuq off drugs? Dude, the guy has been taking heroin for twenty years! _And_ he's a werewolf! He almost killed Leah one time. What if the withdrawals make him go crazy? What if he actually does kill her?"

"I wasn't able to convince her not to go through with it. I let slip that Children of the Moon lose their minds as time goes on. She became more determined than ever to save him. She was so upset that she left as quickly as she came. I didn't know how to react when she was crying about—"

Jacob groaned angrily. "Why does she have to be so impulsive?"

Seth grasped Jacob's arm. "Jake, I'm worried about her too. But I trust my sister. She's been there for me all my life. I know that she's stronger and braver than what we give her credit for."


	2. Chapter 2

_No Sleep, No Death_

The next few days had been quite an adjustment for Seth, who had been preoccupied with his duties in the wolf pack and his job as a fisherman that he hadn't gotten into dating. He hadn't even imprinted. That didn't bother him. He was fine living alone. But when Leah had dropped off her kids at his place, he felt very much like a new father—checking up on them, cleaning up after them, setting up schedules, and getting them to behave.

It was a lot to get used to, but it wasn't difficult. Joel and Dinah weren't difficult children. They reminded Seth of Leah and himself when they were younger—only Leah was the older sibling who would set certain restrictions for the younger one. But both children were not too cautious; they easily gained friends among the Quileute children in the La Push reservation. Like the local children, they were carefree and talked and played a lot. By the end of the first day, they did not feel like strangers at all. Knowing that they were Seth Clearwater's niece and nephew, the other children did not see them as outsiders. Joel and Dinah were welcomed like they were cousins the others have never met. Joel and Dinah were born storytellers; tracing their heritage from two entirely different tribes, they had so much to share.

When some of the local children had told them about whale watching in the bay, Joel and Dinah began to tell the story of the Inuit sea goddess Sedna. Sedna's hand was cut off, and her fingers became the whales, seals and porpoises. In return, their new friends told them about the first Quileutes who were really a pair of wolves who were turned humans, and they were to breed a race of people as brave as wolves. Joel and Dinah were also shared with some information that their uncle and mother, that they were among a brotherhood of tribal protectors, who returned to their "original" wolf forms to fight and kill _apotampkin_—vampires.

This did not worry Seth, because since Renesmée had moved in with Jacob, all the shape-shifters had agreed to let the secret out to the rest of the tribe. Two gangs of men going shirtless to show off their identical tattoos were too conspicuous for such a tiny community to ignore. The secret was safe within the tribe; the Quileutes held it as sacred. The one secret they did not dare to spill, however, was that the Renesmée's parents and the rest of her family were really vampires.

But there was something that made Seth anxious. When a few days had passed, and Dinah and Joel had become quite comfortable living in La Push, Dinah complained about the bright light from the full moon. Seth was already tucking them into bed. Seth asked them if they liked a nightlight. Joel didn't mind the dark. He liked the moonlight. But Dinah didn't. She asked her uncle to close the curtains.

"Is the moon too bright for you, sweetheart?" asked Seth.

"I can't sleep when I know that Daddy is going out again," said Dinah. "I don't like not knowing if he's coming back home."

Seth was deeply bothered by that. But he tried to smile at the girl. "I'm sure Daddy is just fine."

#

On an ordinary day, the motel floor would have been littered with its occupants' belongings. But in one particular room were no ordinary people. Their things had barely been unpacked. On the table, there were only analgesic drugs and a plastic cup of tea on a matching platter. On the bed, there were Leah and Nanuq, desperately holding each other.

Alaska had the coolest summer Leah had ever experienced. But she couldn't go out of the inn to enjoy it. Her back was propped up with pillows while Nanuq's head rested on her chest. He was sweating despite the cold slipping through the door crevices. He was writhing in agony; he would have rolled out of the bed had Leah not been holding him so tightly. It had been nine hours since Nanuq's last dose of heroin, a rather small amount. Leah could feel Nanuq's strong pulse in the wrist she held. She was looking anywhere but his contorted face. But she could not make herself deaf to his pleading groans. Her own chest hurt from trying hard not to cry. Just as he had held on to her when she'd borne each of their children, Leah was not letting go of Nanuq.

Leah closed her eyes and grimaced when Nanuq cried out, kicking his legs to throw off the gnawing pain underneath his skin. But the pain only spread through his body as if it were in his own blood. He growled and scratched angrily on his arms and legs and chest. Leah glanced down once to see the bleeding welts shrink and vanish.

Gasping for breath, Nanuq began to shake his head. "Leah!" he called weakly. The only comfort Leah could give him was a firm squeeze on his hand. But it was as if he couldn't feel her hand. He didn't respond to her touch. His nails dug into Leah's arm, the one that held him close to her.

Leah bit her lip but she patiently held on. She wasn't able to look away as Nanuq's body stiffened, his extremities trembling. Nanuq threw his head back and cried out again. Leah lost control and sobbed helplessly. Nanuq was in such a great pain that he hadn't felt Leah's tears when they fell on his cheeks and mingled with his own.

"No more," said Nanuq softly, shaking his head again. "Please, I can't take any more of this."

"No, don't say that," said Leah, placing her hand on his cheek.

"Kill me," he growled. "Please, kill me!"

Leah tried to convince herself that Nanuq was only delirious with pain and exhaustion.

She leaned closer to his face and told him, "I've told our children we will both come back to them. We will all come home. So you will stay with me. I will never leave you."

Nanuq eventually fell asleep, but he had to wake up again when he sensed the sun about to set. By then, the withdrawal pains had not quite subsided, but at least he wasn't panicking anymore.

He saw Leah putting on a coat over her bare body.

"Leah, what are you doing?"

Zipping her coat closed, Leah faced her husband. "I'm going out with you."

"Why? I could barely move," said Nanuq.

"That's why I'm going with you. The moon is full tonight."

Abruptly finding his strength, Nanuq sat up. "No, you mustn't go! I could hurt you!"

"I'm maintaining a safe distance when you transform."

"The full moon is coming!"

"Exactly," said Leah confidently. "We're in the middle of nowhere as it is. I'm not letting you out of my sight." To make her point clear, she touched his cheek. He was startled by the searing heat of her palm. "The Cullens have family friends in Denali; that's several miles south from here, so I expect there would be a few passing vampires. I've already told you about the Volturi; their laws subject any vampire to kill creatures like you. I don't believe you won't be strong enough to handle vampires, just in case. But at least I keep my mind intact in wolf form—give me your ring."

It was a monthly routine that Nanuq had become accustomed to by now. Just before he sneaks into the wilderness to transform, he would give his wedding ring to Leah for safekeeping.

Leah no longer had that much of a problem with turning into a wolf. But Nanuq couldn't repress the tender emotion that her devotion had stirred in his heart. They were in the middle of nowhere indeed, in the little village of Wiseman, which was just south of the mountain range where Anaktuvuk Pass, his hometown, was. Leah had meant to come as close to Anaktuvuk Pass as possible. If there were Children of the Moon in the vicinity, there had to be people who knew about them. But _asking_ about such creatures was problematic. For now, they were to deal with Nanuq's heroin addiction as well as his being a werewolf.

They left the village and entered the woods in the gathering darkness. Then, once they were at a good distance from the village, they stopped and rested.

Leah reclined on the grass, watching the stars come out one by one while Nanuq prepared his fix. It was a smaller dose of heroin than what he was used to, but it would have to do. He injected it while Leah was still watching the sky.

She had taken off her boots. She had put the coat over her naked body like a blanket. Her long legs were bare, comfortably bent on the grass as if tempting him to touch them.

"The sun was above the horizon all day," she said, glancing at her watch. "It's now midnight. How long do you think we'd have to wait before the moon rises? Would it move the same way the sun did?"

Nanuq didn't answer. Leah felt him kissing her feet. She sat up and said his name. He moved closer to her without taking his eyes off hers. "Why do you do all this for me?" he asked, stroking her inner thigh. He kissed her knees. Nanuq shut his eyes tight, remembering how Leah had gone on all fours to clean up the mess he had made in the bathroom. It had hurt him to see her crying even as she had diligently wiped and scrubbed the blood from the tiles.

Nanuq's tears were leaking from the corners of his closed eyes when he felt her slender hand tenderly caress his head. "Marriage vows exist because there is no such thing as 'happily ever after.' There is no reassurance that we'll be happy forever. But we did promise to stick together no matter what. That's what we're doing right now." Leah said all of this in a matter-of-fact tone—no thick emotion. Yet Nanuq knew that Leah's love was there; it was beyond any outward affection.

Leah folded her legs and let Nanuq kiss her chin, and then the corner of her mouth. Leah responded by kissing his lips. Leah opened her eyes and glanced at the sky. She wondered how soon the moon would rise. Nanuq must have known, for he continued kissing her. He didn't seem afraid of transforming at any moment. The occasional twitching on his face made it clear that his body was still aching. Nanuq paid no attention to that as he took off his clothes and then uncovered Leah's body as well.

He kissed her face, which had caught his eye from across a crowded street in Shoreline ten years ago. His hands explored her sturdy body—her firm abdomen, which had carried their two children for nine months each; and her breasts, which had provided comfort and nourishment for the little babes she had brought forth into the world. He embraced her and laid his head on the strong shoulder that had carried him after he had "accidentally" consumed wild monkshood that had turned him into a wolf out of term.

If he could worship that fruitful body and the steadfast spirit within, he unquestionably would. Nanuq carefully set Leah down on the grass. Leah let her hands rest over her head while Nanuq lowered his mouth onto hers. Nanuq slipped his arms beneath her and lifted her so her body presses against his. Leah twitched and then relaxed, wrapping her legs around his waist. She grasped his head and fiercely nibbled his ear like an angry wolf mother. Nanuq yelped and held her tighter.

If he could, he would give up immortality to be with Leah like this for as long as he lives. He could never forgive himself for handing himself over to the mercy of nature and be infected by a lycanthrope, because of which his years as a creature of reason were now numbered. But if he had never left Anaktuvuk Pass, he would probably be dead by now: one useless bag of flesh buried in a shallow pit among others in the outskirts of the village. If he had stayed in the village, he would have died and have never met this woman with whom he had vowed to spend the rest of his life.

Nanuq groaned and dug his nails into the skin of her back, not wanting to let go. Leah kept nibbling on his ear, more gently this time, as she clung to him. Then, Nanuq adjusted his hold of her so he could enter her.

He loved watching her respond to the first thrust. But afterwards, as he swayed her, he could barely control himself long enough to keep his eyes on her. Nanuq straightened his back and lifted his face skyward with his eyes closed as he listened to Leah whimpering. He felt her hands sliding over his chest and stomach. Nanuq opened his eyes into the darkening sky, their witness.

Leah grasped his forearms. "Nanuq," she whined, "tell me you'll stay with me." She opened her mouth to speak some more but the tension in her body wouldn't allow it. She arched her spine and threw her head back. "N-Nanuq …"

Nanuq cringed at the sound of her wavering faith. He pursed his lips as he lowered his body onto hers. He savored her unnatural warmth through the cool summer breeze that went past. "I want to," he grunted, thrusting more powerfully into her that she whimpered and bared her teeth.

Not for long, Leah began to twitch and let out broken moans that signaled her impending climax. She growled and clung to his shoulders before letting her pleasure reach its peak. Nanuq had been waiting for that moment. She had barely finished when he, too, experienced release.

When it was over, the moon still hadn't risen. Leah fell asleep moments after their coupling. Nanuq neatly put their clothes in the bag Leah had brought with them and then waited.


	3. Chapter 3

_Angakkuq_

Leah awoke from the sound of yowling from a distance. The faint moonlight shone upon the trees that gently swayed to the cool breeze. Nanuq was nowhere to be seen. Her bag was just beside her. Her clothes and Nanuq's were in it. Leah hurriedly tied a cord to the short handles of her bag and wrapped the cord around her neck. She transformed into a wolf, making the cord and bag a makeshift collar. She sniffed around the area, trying to find Nanuq's scent. Soon she found the smell of his hair within a three-foot radius from where she'd awakened.

She followed it carefully through the woods. When she'd crossed a winding creek and scaled a hill, she found the messy remains of a caribou. From that spot, she continued to follow the scent until she found Nanuq eating a second caribou.

She hadn't seen Nanuq in his wolf form for a few years now. Leah had trusted that Nanuq would come home after every full moon in one piece; he had never needed her company. In wolf form, he normally looked majestic and fearsome like Sam. But now, even as his pure white fur glowed beautifully in the moonlight as usual, he certainly looked ill. He looked thinner than she had ever seen him. Even the gleam in his citrine eyes had faded. For a moment, Leah wondered if she wasn't doing the right thing, denying him his usual dose of heroin. This last transformation had worn him out. Leah cautiously crouched toward Nanuq.

Suddenly, a quarrel shot through his shoulder. If Leah had stayed human, she would have screamed. Instead she leapt out of her hiding place and tried to comfort the panicking white wolf. Nanuq promptly collapsed as blood poured onto his fur and fell on the grass. Leah frantically looked for the source of the quarrel.

Just ahead of them, a young Inuit woman clad in traditional dress stood still, aiming a crossbow at them. Even with her gentle curvy figure, she looked menacing. She aimed her weapon at the slender grey wolf that stood in front of the injured white one. But before she could fire, the grey wolf leapt on top of her with a threatening growl. The maiden searched for her crossbow, which had been thrown out of her hands. Then, the weight on top of her grew lighter as the wolf slowly shifted into a woman.

"Leave him alone! Do you understand me?" said Leah.

The younger woman nodded numbly.

Leah let the maiden get up. She put her bag down and put on a short dress. Behind her, Nanuq was whimpering and unable to get up. "What did you do to him?" asked Leah, trying to steady him.

"The quarrel is poisoned," said the maiden nonchalantly. When Leah glared at her, she added, "It can't kill him. If he's just a dog, he'd be dead within the hour. But creatures like him have curious healing abilities. The poison won't affect him that gravely. Don't pull it out!"

Leah had grasped the quarrel. "Why shouldn't I?"

The maiden roughly pulled Leah away from the wolf. "If you do, his wounds will heal and he'll turn against us! Who is he to you that you want to save him so much?"

"He is my husband!" said Leah desperately. "You—you know about creatures like him! You can help us, can't you? Say you do!"

The young woman was bothered. "Even if I want to, I don't know how," she said, and Leah's heart sank. "I only know how to kill werewolves. I was taught not to spare the life of one."

"Spare _him!_ We've come all the way from Washington State to find help." Leah's voice wobbled when she remembered what Nanuq had done to himself.

The younger woman became less aggressive. "Is he a Quileute like you?" she asked.

"How do you know I am a Quileute?"

"Your people are legendary," she said, smiling fondly. "We _angakkuit_ have great respect for the Wolf People who protect the innocent from predatory monsters like bloodsuckers and Children of the Moon."

"So will you help us?" asked Leah, getting back on her feet.

"You haven't answered my question yet. Is he a Quileute like you?"

"No, he is Inupiat like you. That's why we're here. We came back where he might have been infected so we might find someone who knows what to do to help."

"There is no help for Children of the Moon," the maiden said with finality. But his time, her tone expressed sympathy, even as she unsheathed her iron knife.

Leah felt sick and weak but she struggled to maintain composure. She stepped closer to the wolf without turning her back on the woman. "Don't," she said. "I need you. C-Can't we wait until sunrise, until he is human again?"

"And let him transform again on the next full moon? I don't think so!"

Leah fought the sinking feeling in her chest and knees by clenching her fists. The maiden expected her to phase into wolf form again and stepped back. "We are not staying here too long," promised Leah. "We just need help. If you do, we'll get out of your way when we're done."

The maiden was finally moved with mercy. Sighing, she took out a rope from her own bag and tied it around the wolf' hind legs. "We're taking him to my camp. It's not too far from here," she said flatly.

The walk to the camp took longer than it should have because they were dragging Nanuq through the woods. By the time they arrived, the sun had risen. The burden grew lighter; Nanuq had turned human again. He had also passed out from the poison. The maiden momentarily looked regretful that she hadn't killed him. Leah gave her a warning look. The maiden immediately wiped the expression off her face.

"Alright, I'm going to help you," she said. "But you must promise to keep him away from humans, especially from my people—or my dogs." She gestured toward the eight Alaskan malamutes growling at the two strangers. All of them were tied to a tree.

"That's why I was in wolf form in the first place, to keep an eye on him in a form that's more suitably adapted to this environment. Maybe _you_ should stay with your people where it's safe," said Leah when they brought him into the tent and lifted him onto the bed.

"I am the _angakkuq_ of my village. I am only here to collect herbs that grow on these slopes at summertime. I've only arrived here last night and only finished setting up camp when the sun set. My name is Iqniq." She covered Nanuq in furs.

"Leah Clearwater-Nanuq—well, _he_ is Nanuq but his first name is really Reuben."

"Mine is Naomi," said Iqniq. "You look like you could use some sleep."

To Iqniq's surprise, Leah's eyes were welling with tears. "Is—is it true what I heard about Children of the Moon?" she asked.

"What about them?"

Leah told Iqniq about what Nanuq had done to himself and what Seth had said could be the reason for it. "We went here to find a solution—find a way to avoid it somehow." Leah snapped the quarrel sticking out of Nanuq's shoulder. Nanuq twitched and seemed to wake. But he stayed barely conscious. "I got you, love," whispered Leah, as she held Nanuq's shoulder down while she pulled out the point. He groaned in pain and then slipped back out of consciousness.

"We promised our children we will both come home," added Leah.

At that, Iqniq stood and looked at her guests serenely. "Alright," she said softly. "I'll let the two of you get rest. I'll be outside."

A few hours later, Nanuq woke up in the warm bed of fur. He found himself inside a tent made of animal hide—seal skin perhaps. Sunlight was shining from the skylight on top of the tent. For a moment, he wondered whether he'd gone back in time, and he was seventeen again, having recently been adopted by a family of nomads. But there was the unmistakable heat of Leah's body against his back. He could feel her bare breasts pushing against his skin with every breath. Carefully, he removed her arm from around his waist and got out of the bed. His head was throbbing. He was a little unsteady on his feet. The mild nausea was making it worse.

He found the bag where Leah had packed their clothes and got dressed. When he went out of the tent later, there was a young woman wearing traditional Inuit dress. She was cooking soup in a pot. The heavy fumes were making him even more nauseous. The eight Alaskan malamutes that surrounded her didn't mind the smell. They expectantly eyed the pot, their tongues hanging out and their tails wagging. Then, they spotted Nanuq coming. Their faces instantly turned fierce. They growled at him. This informed their mistress of his presence too.

"Leah said this is the first time you've come home in almost twenty years. How do you like being back?" the maiden asked him in Inupiaq.

"It's pleasant, now that I can see it all around me," said Nanuq.

The maiden smiled meekly at him then turned back to her pot. Nanuq hid behind the bushes nearby and promptly vomited flesh and blood. When he recovered, the maiden was offering him a bowl of the soup. "All that throwing up must make you hungry," she said.

"Thank you," said Nanuq, accepting the bowl.

"I am Iqniq," said the maiden. "You're Nanuq, right?"

"That's right," said Nanuq before taking a sip. The exquisite taste made up for the heavy smell.

"How does your shoulder feel?" she asked.

"It feels a bit hot like the sun's shining only at that spot," he said. He glanced at the spot and saw a bloodstain. "What the …?" He looked at Iqniq with wide eyes. "Did _you_ do this?" Nanuq didn't wait for an answer. He put down the bowl, forgetting his hunger, and got on his feet.

"Your wife asked me to help you and now I will," said Iqniq. "Finish your soup."

"How do I know you didn't do anything to it?" he demanded.

Iqniq kept a straight face. "Do you want to starve to death? You're way thinner than you ought to be," she pointed out. "I'll clean up your wound after you eat."

Nanuq looked at the bowl. His mouth watered.

"Your wife expects you to be here when she wakes up. I'm not going to let you suddenly disappear, especially not by my hand," she added calmly. "Now eat."

Driven by his hunger, Nanuq believed her and finished his soup.


	4. Chapter 4

_A Precious Secret_

The sun was shining just as brightly in La Push. It was the perfect day for fishing. Before going to the marina, Seth brought his nephew and niece to Jacob's.

"Have you slept well?" asked Renesmée, when she let them in.

"After almost a week with me, they've learnt to get comfortable in my house," said Seth. "Isn't that right, Dinah?" He gently ruffled the girl's hair. Dinah had been having trouble sleeping on the first few nights, especially on the first full moon. She'd asked if her Daddy would be okay in Alaska. That night, Seth had worried how much Leah's children knew about their father, and their mother's wolf pack brothers. He hadn't asked.

As he walked away, he contacted Jacob. _Yo, Alpha! I gotta alert you. You better inform Sam too._

_What's up, Seth?_

_I think we should all be careful about our thoughts. With Edward Cullen in close proximity, he just might discover what we're hiding. You better not let Nessie know about Nanuq either._

_Don't worry, I never told her anything. We've agreed not to ever think about it, remember?_

_Yeah—so far, we've been successful. Leah just had to come over though. I think the kids know …_

_How much _do_ they know?_

_I don't know. And I'm not sure I want to find out. Just keep an eye on them for me. And if Edward is close, remember: our policy._

_I got it, Seth. I'll remind the others—and Sam._

On the way to the marina, Seth desperately tried to control his memories of Nanuq to surface, hiding any trace of the fateful night that his pack brothers had kidnapped the Inuk to see if he would transform into a wolf at the full moon. Leah had arrived in time to rescue her lover from her brothers' deadly jaws. Seth indulged this memory once and then thought no more of it.

Jacob listened in to Seth's thoughts momentarily. Jacob thought that now that he's older, Seth had become a little more like his sister: cautious and reserved with a bit of a temper that he had almost never shown when even he was fifteen, when he was a young shifter with his hormones in disarray. Seth had never admitted it to anyone; it had never even explicitly crossed his mind, but the rest of the pack had come to the conclusion that from watching his sister suffer for seven years prior to meeting Nanuq, Seth had come to believe that imprinting was an unnecessary perk to shape-shifting. Seth had become even more convinced of that notion when his sister found true love without the aid of magic. She had said, "_Does it matter whether I imprinted on him or not?_"

Seth was _not_ lonely; he believed that not having a lover of his own gave him freedom that the others would never know. He didn't want to have to be hovering over somebody all the time. If she does come his way, that would be just fine; if not, Seth was happy with taking care of only himself. Having his sister's children living with him for the time being reminded him that he did miss living with a family. But it still did not tempt him to go find someone to start his own with.

#

Leah navigated back to Wiseman, reaching the village around 3:00 PM. "I was afraid you've been attacked by a bear," said the innkeeper, when they turned up.

Leah smiled gratefully and ushered Nanuq into their room, where he had another withdrawal. Leah let him have the alternative painkillers and the other medications that relieved the withdrawal symptoms. But she tenaciously refused to listen to his pleas to give him heroin. He looked pathetic in his attempts to persuade her. But Leah had expected this and more. "I told you: not for two more hours!" she told him clearly.

At some point, Nanuq was brought down to a stupor and couldn't get out of bed. Somebody knocked on their door. It was Iqniq.

"I remember you mentioning getting him off heroin by yourself so I brought this," she said, handing Leah a clay jar.

"What is this?"

"Give him a draught of this," said Iqniq, "and he'll sleep through the withdrawal."

"That's very kind of you," said Leah. It was all she could say.

"I suppose it's also in my nature to feel for those who suffer," said Iqniq. She glimpsed Nanuq in the two-room enclosure. "He looks worse than when I last saw him." _It's difficult to want to kill him when he's like that_, she added in her head.

"Thank you," said Leah.

Iqniq's gift made life a great deal easier for both Leah and Nanuq during the few weeks. Two days before the next full moon, Leah and Nanuq visited Iqniq's camp in the woods. She was there, but without her dogs. "I'm collecting medicinal plants again," she told them when they asked why she was on her own this time.

"We were hoping to ask for your help again, if it's not too much to ask," said Leah. "The moon is full tonight."

Iqniq instantly became tense. She looked at Nanuq with fear.

"Iqniq, please," said Leah, "He'll stay in the wilderness when it's time."

"Alright," said Iqniq hesitantly. "I was going to meet with other _angakkuit_ anyway. I'd need you to take care of my house."

She led them to her village, but they stopped at a short distance from it. Iqniq's house was a tiny one, smaller than their apartment in Shoreline. "If I keep your house in good condition, would you consult the other _angakkuit_ about Children of the Moon?" said Leah.

Apart from the sleeping draught, there was nothing else she could do for Nanuq, so she agreed. She left the village the following day.

On the night of the full moon, Nanuq prepared early. "You stay here," he told Leah. Sunset was hours away. The nighttime sun had made sleeping difficult for Leah. He could see it in her eyes.

Leah wanted to refuse. But he was right in making her stay. She needed her rest. She would have preferred letting Nanuq leave the tent without having her watch. But she had been wide awake when he had left before sunset. However, Nanuq had been asleep for the past four hours because of Iqniq's brew. Energized from sleep, food, and the last dose of heroin for the day, he left.

But when he did, Leah couldn't sleep at all. During summer, nights were extremely short in this part of Alaska. There were only a few hours left before sunrise and he would be back, like he always did. But the sounds of the woods were loud to her ears, as if giving warning signals from every direction. She could hear wolves and wild malamutes howling in the distance. Somewhere there was a bear lumbering about. Nearby, she could hear rabbits searching for shelter from the swift fox. The breeze was gentle, rocking the evergreens and letting their branches hit one another as if in applause.

Leah groaned in agony as she saw in her head an image of a polar bear quarreling with the largest arctic wolf it had ever seen. She had seen the black bears in the Olympic Peninsula; they were more vicious when in defense. Leah screamed when she envisioned blood at a mountain's snowy slope. She shut her eyes, but the image wouldn't go.

Leah reached for Iqniq's knife on the floor and held it close to her chest. Her fingers played with the colorful beads at the handle. Iqniq was going to help Nanuq but had no clear idea how to. Children of the Moon appeared in the area but very rarely, she had said. More often than not, they were killed once found, to avoid infecting more people. It had been too late for Nanuq.

The bed had become hot. It was even harder for Leah to sleep. Back in La Push, in the seven long, empty years following the birth of Renesmée, Leah had pretended she could handle being alone. "Faking it" had its advantages. But now, having been Nanuq's partner for ten years, Leah couldn't deny it anymore: solitude was torture for her. The warmth of the bed didn't feel as comfortable as the heat of Nanuq's body.

"Stop!" she shouted, clutching her hair. But her mind mercilessly brought back those years. Everyone had been happy except for her. Everyone who had imprinted shamelessly flaunted their affection for their partners. Even the local bloodsuckers had behaved the same way. Leah would have been able to stand not having a lover of her own; she hadn't really been envious of any of them. But Jacob, the only person who could understand what she had been going through, had been too busy entertaining Renesmée to relieve some of Leah's grief.

What made it worse was that Renesmée was her father's daughter indeed; she was viciously possessive of her Jake. She sensed rivalry whenever Leah came close, looking like she wanted something from Jacob. Renesmée had attacked Leah at least once. She had forbidden Jacob to touch Leah, even if it was as tame as a pat on the shoulder.

When she had been two or three years old, Renesmée had come to La Push unannounced to find Jacob trying to make Leah laugh. Leah had been crying then—an occasional overflow of misery. Jacob had inadvertently been telling Leah a terrible dirty joke. It had been summer, like tonight in Alaska; Jacob was shirtless as usual, and Leah was wearing only a bikini top and very short denim cutoffs. After Jacob had told her the story of Coyote Dick, Leah let out a bark of laughter. She'd almost fallen off her stool so she had to hold on to Jacob, who was standing up, for support. Renesmée had seen it; the girl seemed to turn into a man-eating faerie and shot toward Leah, clawing at her hair and face. Jacob tried to stop Renesmée, but this only aggravated the dhampir's jealousy, turning it from a fallen lamp on a rug to a forest fire spreading toward a dry field. That evening, Leah was left battered and half-naked on the floor of Jacob's garage by the time he had pulled Renesmée away. Jacob had to call the rest of the pack to restrain the dhampir girl while he'd carried Leah inside to treat her wounds.

"Jacob, you don't have to," moaned Leah, when Jacob laid her on the couch.

"I know it heals; I just want to make it feel better," said Jacob curtly when he fetched the medicine kit from the bathroom. He also fetched a towel and placed it over her breasts.

Leah stayed quiet and let Jacob dab medicine on the deep scratches on her face, neck and shoulders. That had been the first time Jacob had ever been angry with Renesmée. _Nobody treats my Beta this way!_ Jacob grumbled in his head. But Leah also felt that Jacob didn't just take care of her for the sole reason of her being second-in-command in the wolf pack. Jacob didn't like to admit it to anyone, even to Leah, that what he felt for her was something special that had led him to appoint her as his Beta in the first place. Leah stayed quiet while she'd listened to Jacob's thoughts, rehearsing scolding Renesmée.

"I'll just take a look, okay?" he said before uncovering Leah's breasts again. There were faint scratches there too. Jacob's face seemed to change into that of an angry wolf without having to phase. He growled very softly when he found fresh bruises over Leah's ribs and stomach too.

"How do you feel?" he asked; his face becoming smooth again.

"Dizzy—a bit nauseous—she punched me in the head four times in a second," Leah said. Then, she hiccoughed, sobbed, and then let out a heartbreaking wail.

Trying not to be moved to tears himself, Jacob said, "Don't cry. You'll hurt your head."

Indeed, the crying spell had given Leah a splitting headache. But she couldn't stop. Her very soul ached with hunger.

"You don't have to cry. I'll tell Nessie never to do this again, I promise," Jacob said.

Then, he scooped her up again, carrying her to Rachel and Rebecca's bedroom. Setting her down on Rebecca's bed, Jacob said, "I'm not letting anyone in here, alright? Sleep on it. I'll talk to Nessie." He took a dress from Rebecca's closet and laid it at Leah's feet.

Her injuries had healed while she had been asleep. But Leah had become more miserable than ever. As soon as Renesmée had left the reservation, Jacob did not stop apologizing to Leah.

Leah accepted, but she had known better than to demand Renesmée for her own apology; Edward was not one to ask for forgiveness without first trying to justify his faults. Leah had avoided asking Jacob for his companionship from then on. Jacob had been kind enough to ask her what was wrong whenever she looked lonely. But to avoid having her skin and clothes torn again, Leah had stopped risking letting Renesmée see her with Jacob.

After that, it was like watching a party to which everyone except her was invited.

In the tent, Jacob was not there to comfort her. Leah looked at the skylight. Dawn was not coming for a few more hours. "Nanuq, please, come back sooner," she said.

Suddenly, the sadness turned into anger. Why did this have to happen? What if Iqniq came back without a solution? Who will be left to stay with her when Joel and Dinah had grown up and moved out of the apartment? Did everyone she loved have to be stolen from her?—first Sam, then her father Harry, and now Nanuq? Nobody had ever loved Leah like Nanuq did; he loved her just the same whether she was wearing a long gown or nothing. Tugging her hair and clothes, she cursed the gods for not letting her joys last as if she never deserved them at all.

Leah tossed and turned in the bed. But she could only wait. Why wouldn't sleep come so time would go a little faster? She gritted her teeth when she heard Nanuq's laughter in her head. What if he doesn't come back?

Leah hadn't realized she had fallen asleep. But it was mercilessly short and was not restful at all. The sun had come up. Abruptly wide awake, Leah jumped out of the bed and rushed out of the house. Nanuq was already approaching. Leah was overwhelmed at his presence and ran toward him. Nanuq was momentarily surprised to see Leah so upset. But before he could say anything, Leah had thrown her arms around him.

"I don't want you leaving me like that again!" she cried, holding his head to her shoulder.

"Baby, you know I always come back," said Nanuq, his breath smelling of blood.

Leah pulled away and looked him in the eye. "You _know_ how vast this wilderness is! We're in the middle of nowhere! And with you gone, in the summertime, you _know_ the beasts that live here! You're named after the world's largest carnivore, what if you ran into one? ..."

Nanuq noticed her puffy eyes and the dark circles under them. "Leah—baby—we are _wolf people_. We are in our element, we are safe here," he said soothingly. "Come on, let's go to bed." He lifted her and carried her to the bed.

"I don't want you to leave me!" wails Leah as he covered her with furs.

Nanuq felt the sharp tug in her words. "You know I want to stay," he said softly. He lay beside her on the bed and held her close. "You have already gone this far for me. I'm not going to let this trip go to waste. We have help on the way. I'll be okay. We both will be." Leah closed her eyes and wrapped her arm around him. Nanuq shifted closed and gently sniffed at her face—an Inuit kiss.

#

There was somebody shaking Nanuq awake. When he abruptly opened his eyes, he found both Iqniq and Leah looking frightened. "Nanuq, you were having a nightmare," said Leah.

Nanuq closed his eyes for a moment to remember what it was. He saw a pack of arctic wolves as vicious as he was. Some of them had fur as white as his; others were tainted with grey or custard.

"It wasn't just a nightmare," said Nanuq. "You know how you dream of what happens to you on your waking hours?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Leah.

"I met others like me last night," said Nanuq, smiling.

"Are you sure it wasn't _just_ a vision?"

"No, I'm not," said Nanuq, his face aglow. "That's why I want to go back to check. This time, I want you to come with me." He smiled and looked at Leah for approval.

Iqniq sighed. "Yes, I think it would be best if you find what you are looking for," she said.

Leah looked at Iqniq wonderingly.

"When I asked, the _angakkuit_ I met murmured about Children of the Moon lurking in the mountains. I heard there are more of them up north, especially near Anaktuvuk Pass."

Leah and Nanuq looked at each other. She felt the burden in her heart growing light. "We stay together no matter what," she said.

They thanked Iqniq for her help and said goodbye. The young _angakkuq_ gave them another jar of the sleeping draught she had made for Nanuq. In exchange, Leah gave her a blanket woven from dog hair; an ancestor had made it.

Leah arranged a short flight toward Anaktuvuk Pass, still hoping they would find some more help there. Nanuq did not complain as they boarded a small plane toward his old home. When they arrived, he felt as if he had gone back in time. Everything was just the same, except the people. He knew nobody there; and nobody could remember him either. That didn't really bother him. He also knew that in Anaktuvuk Pass, people normally came and went.

Leah and Nanuq settled in an inn, where Nanuq took a dose of the Iqniq's brew. While he was asleep, Leah went out to buy food and call Seth. Dinah was the one who answered the phone.

"Mommy, when are you coming home?" asked Dinah.

"I don't know, baby," said Leah. "We'll try to come home as soon as we can."

"Is Daddy okay?"

"Yes, Dinah," said Leah. "He's better than ever. Is Uncle Seth there?"

"He's talking to Renesmée's family," said Dinah sullenly. "I don't like them."

"Why?" asked Leah, who became worried.

"They look at us funny, especially Renesmée's daddy. He scares me because he doesn't look old enough to be _anybody's_ daddy."

Leah wanted to come home at once. But seeing the shabby houses in the village and the snow-capped peaks surrounding it reminded her that she couldn't. Nanuq wasn't quite healthy just yet either. "Dinah, listen to me, and never forget," said Leah urgently. "Whatever you do, don't come near them. When Renesmée's dad looks at you, you look away. Tell that to Joel too, okay? Tell Uncle Seth I called. If he asks, tell him we're in Anaktuvuk Pass."

"You're in Daddy's hometown?" gasped Dinah in awe.

"Yes, we're very far away," said Leah. "It might take some time before we get back. But as soon as Daddy is fine, we promise we'll come home."

"I miss you."

"I miss you too, baby."

Leah put down the receiver and clenched her fists. Edward was not going to take her happiness away from her. She and Nanuq were about to find others of his kind; they should be able to help him. Then, they'll be coming home.

But things we a bit more serious than Leah probably imagined. While her family was safe in La Push, Bella and Edward were having a discussion in their house in the outskirts of Forks.

"I definitely smelled something different there," said Edward, pacing in their living room.

"Me too—sweet-smelling humans I've never met before," said Bella, sitting on the couch.

"There's something else," said Edward.

"Like what?"

"It smells a bit like a sick animal really. But like the shifters, it smells unappetizing to me."

"It couldn't be a 'true' werewolf, could it?" asked Bella.

"Impossible! The Volturi have—wait a minute." Edward stopped pacing. His amber eyes met Bella's. "Could it be?"

Bella did not entertain the notion further. She was not interested in the werewolf. Thankful that Edward cannot read her mind, she entertained her own thoughts and the memory of the sweet smell of humans. Such smells varied with every individual, now that she thought of it. Some people probably just happened to smell more delicious than others, like Alice and herself when they were both humans. She bit her lip. In her seventeen years as a vampire, she had never tasted human blood before.

"What are you thinking?" asked Edward. He had asked this so frequently that Bella almost didn't hear him whenever he did.

"Huh? Oh, I was just wondering how—I kinda miss eating human food," said Bella. "Excuse me," she said, as she left the living room for a livelier chat with Alice upstairs.


	5. Chapter 5

_Wolves of the North_

Leah and Nanuq kept working on managing Nanuq's heroin dependency. He had considerably improved; his withdrawals had grown milder. He ate more heartily and slept more soundly.

But there was one incident when Nanuq was sleepwalking into one of the houses in Anaktuvuk Pass. The house had been abandoned for several years now. Leah woke Nanuq up. Disoriented even when he opened his eyes, he muttered something in Inupiaq for several seconds before realizing who was in front of him. "Oh, Leah!" he said, hugging her. "They've been trying to reach for me."

"Who are you talking about?"

Nanuq looked around the little bedroom they were in. There were three beds in there. If the house hadn't been deserted, the fact that it was poorly built would still show. "My brothers and sisters, they've been contacting me," he said. "At first I thought they were getting me to come after them. But now it occurred to me that they were really warning me to not go the same way they did."

Leah cupped his face in her hands. "You won't, baby. I won't let you."

They waited for the dark to envelope the land again. They spotted orange lights in one of the mountain peaks. When they asked, one of the local authorities shrugged it off as a family of Inuit nomads setting up camp. But Leah and Nanuq thought those could be more than just nomads. Filling their backpacks with food, water, clothes and sleeping bags, they set off into the wilderness in search of others like Nanuq.

Following the orange lights, Leah and Nanuq climbed the mountain for several hours. They were both admittedly rusty at this kind of activity. But they were relentless in their pursuit.

"You still have your super senses, right?" asked Nanuq. "I remember Sam being repelled from my smell."

"Yes, but I can't distinguish Children of the Moon from other beasts or people anymore. I think I've grown desensitized from spending so much time with you," said Leah. "Why else would I be able to stand making love with you if you smell that bad?"

When they eventually came close, they could hear hushed voices within a cave. Slowly, the couple approached the mouth of the cave.

There were at least two dozen people inside, men and women alike, clad in parkas that displayed only their round faces that had been battered by the bitter cold. Unmoving, they watched the two strangers approaching. But they looked ready to attack in case of any display of aggression. Their gaze lingered longer at Leah, whose slender form, almond-shaped eyes and darker complexion they did not recognize. Nanuq noticed that, and he held his hands up in greeting.

"Please," he said in Inupiaq, "don't be afraid. We are like you."

One of the men, the one who looked like he was the oldest, stood in a display of authority. He was probably forty years old. He might even be older if it was true that Children of the Moon were immortal like vampires. "How do you know what we are? How did you get here? How can we see that you weren't sent here to eliminate us?" he demanded. The last two words made his comrades shudder. Leah, who did not understand a single word, trembled slightly; but his tone of voice told her that this was serious.

Nanuq held Leah's hand, reassuring her. "I was here on the night of the full moon," he said.

The powerful statement softened the face of the leader. "Why have you come only now?"

"I did not know that so many of us live here. Knowing of your existence, I seek help, from my own kind."

"What about _her_?" demanded a woman, whose hood was down. Her hair was like a raven's ruffled feathers.

"She is my wife," said Nanuq, sharply this time. He tightened his hold on Leah's hand when she flinched at the woman's piercing look. "But she is not quite like us—a _Quileute_."

The sound of the name of her tribe startled Leah. Then, the tension in the cavern crumbled into murmurs. "Nanuq, what are they saying?" she asked.

"They know about your people," said Nanuq. "I said _we_ are like them. But knowing that your tribe's lycanthropes are traditionally male, they are surprised that you are a woman."

Leah felt stung, not by what Nanuq said but what these people thought of her. The last thing she wanted was to be reminded how much of a freak she was just by being female. If she was going to get these people to take her husband seriously, there is one way for them to know that he is telling the truth. "Leah, hey, it's cold!" he said, when Leah angrily tossed her coat aside. Nanuq and the Inuit exiles in the cave were stunned as she rid herself of all clothing, until she was standing bare at the mouth of the cave. She only had to think about it: soon, she was trembling involuntarily, her muscles anticipating the change. She growled, her voice growing deeper and deeper. She cried out once, as she released the wolf within, letting its shape conceal her human form. Now a grey wolf twice as big as normal, she glared at all of them, baring her teeth threateningly.

Nanuq placed his hand upon Leah's nape, which was vibrating from her growls. "Thank you, Leah," he said. "I think you showed them what we are after." Leah's ears flattened and her muzzle became smooth. Nanuq turned to the leader again, who approached him.

"Why haven't I seen you before? None of us recognize you," he asked.

"I have been away," said Nanuq. "I went to Washington State to escape the wilderness."

"Isn't it crowded there?"

"I flee to the forest when it's time for the wolf to be unleashed."

This time, the leader was just curious. "How old are you?"

"I'm thirty-eight years old—why?"

"You were thirty-eight when you were infected? How long have you been like us?"

"No, I was _eighteen_ when I was infected. It's been twenty years. I'm now thirty-eight."

The leader was greatly amused. "A young one," he said, turning to the others. "We have a young one over here!" The rest of the colony murmured with interest.

Nervous, Leah growled at the leader again.

"It's okay, Leah," said Nanuq, stroking Leah's nape.

The older man looked at Nanuq like he was a younger brother. "Come; tell me what we can do for you. And your wife can switch back to her human form now," he said.

#

Leah watched the members of the colony getting busy with making new coats. Something about the sound of their dialect was soothing. The rhythmic pattern of it was more noticeable in the two men conversing next to her. At some point, she let down her guard and made herself comfortable squeezing in beside Nanuq, who sometimes translated for her whenever the leader of the colony addressed her. His name turned out to be Atka, and he was a simple hunter living in a tiny nomadic community. He was a family man well in his thirties when he encountered white men for the first time. "Atka was here when the Russians arrived in Alaska and engaged in whaling," Nanuq translated for Leah. "It would not have been such a bad thing, if the white men hadn't also brought their diseases and their _monsters_."

"Monsters?" echoed Leah.

"Our Algonquin neighbors call it the _wendigo_, creatures that eat human flesh. But when some of us Inuit also became infected, we called them Children of the Moon, because of the change that occurs that coincides with the lunar cycle," explained Nanuq.

"Atka," said Leah, "I heard that the Children of the Moon go mad on the fiftieth year or so. Is it true? Is there any way we could prevent that? _You_ have been around for a long time."

When Nanuq translated for Leah, Atka said, "It _is_ true. Everyone I've ever known have died in old age, disease, or became infected and then killed as a last resort. Within my colony, there were some who have gone mad, compelling me to have them killed. Just when I realized that it was inevitable for me, I found the solution.

"I think it was my seventh year as a werewolf, when I encountered people so pale they could hide in plain sight in the snow if they took their clothes off. They even glittered in the sun, just like snow left undisturbed on the mountainside. That was not the only thing that separated them from the other people; their eyes were bright red, as if they were filled with blood. When they slaughtered the first members of my colony, I tried to kill them. I almost died in the process. But then, I was left alone once more."

Leah's hairs stood on end. Vampires were in the area! "I _know_ those creatures," she told Atka. "My people—those appointed to be wolf protectors of our tribe—we are sworn to slay them."

"I knew you would know vampires," said Atka. "That is why I am impressed that Nanuq would get a Quileute for a wife. Extracting vampire venom should be easy for you."

"What?" Nanuq gasped.

"Did you know that being bitten by vampires is lethal to us werewolves?"

"No," said Nanuq. "I haven't even met one before."

"Normally, they just tear our heads off if they want to kill us. But biting us is easier. The substance that turns humans into vampires is deadly poisonous for us Children of the Moon. It's the one thing that can kill us without resorting to any dramatic mutilation. I think our bodies are more susceptible to infections like that."

"What do we do to the venom?" asked Leah.

"Wait, let _me_ extract the venom," suggested Atka. "You just bring the dead vampire here."

"Okay, well, what can it _do_?" asked Leah.

"I've formulated a concoction in which the venom stunts the healing process we werewolves normally experience. If we dilute it properly, our healing powers would be reduced to that of a normal human's. This will allow normal aging to occur, but also disease and inevitably death."

Nanuq explained this to Leah, who gave him and Atka a look of shock. "But you're immortal."

"I am the father figure of this colony," said Atka solemnly. "I am going to live as long as I can for this colony. Those of us who choose not to die have been using pain management methods. A few of us are _angakkuit_."

Leah gave Nanuq a meaningful look. Nanuq understood. But when he turned to Atka, he asked, "Where do we find the vampires?"


	6. Chapter 6

_Craving_

Back in the inn, Leah found Nanuq filling little vials with a violet-colored liquid.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Thanks to Sam's murder attempt, I now know how to transform in daylight," said Nanuq, showing her a bouquet of dried monkshood. "I bought this from a flower shop when we stopped by Anchorage. You know—just in case," he added.

"You're not doing this," said Leah, putting her hands on her hips.

As Nanuq transferred the contents of a vial into a syringe, he told Leah, "You may be the vampire hunter around here, but I can't sit around watching you do everything for me."

From behind Nanuq, Leah gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her cheek on his head. "I'll be fine," she said.

Nanuq laughed coldly. "Jacob was right about you: you're usually pretty sure of yourself. I admire you for that, really. But I want to be there for you especially this time. If we're gonna get this over with, I want to be involved. I want to make sure that you will still be with me when this is over. Vampires—I think there's a good reason why you and your brothers operate in packs," said Nanuq, shuddering at the idea of encountering the snow people Atka had described.

"I understand," said Leah, kissing Nanuq's cheek.

After filling a second syringe with monkshood, Nanuq watched Leah go and take out salmon from the refrigerator. Nanuq hurried to wash his hands and help Leah.

"Are you looking forward to hunting vampires?" said Nanuq when he was cooking the salmon burgers.

"Not really," said Leah, who was slicing tomatoes. "But there's a good reason, so I just might enjoy it." She smiled grimly as she sliced a second tomato.

Nanuq could tell that Leah wasn't being totally honest. It was true that she was more than willing to do what she had to do. But he could tell that she was also afraid. Ever since she opened up about her unhappy life in La Push, he had never forgotten that she was afraid of vampires. Leah wanted nothing to do with them. It had only been out of her loyalty to her pack that she was ever associated with them. Leah had claimed that moving out of La Push had given her the greatest joy.

Nanuq believed her. The only time she had seen her miserable was just before she found out she was pregnant with Joel. But now his problem was drawing Leah closer to what she hated the most. He kissed her cheek and then nibbled on her ear. "You've done so much for me. Just let me be with you on this one," he said. "I think I should be."

#

Bella's sleepless nights had almost never been a bother. But as she read _The Tempest_, she couldn't concentrate. The more she tried to ignore it, the more her mouth watered with the memory of the sweet smell of human children. She had learned to live among humans earlier than most vampires. But even she was not immune to the lure of human blood; she just happened to be able to resist it better than anyone. But having caught a whiff of the blood of Leah's children reminded her that she had never tasted human blood before, unlike the other Cullens, with the possible exception of Emmett, Esme and Rosalie.

Bella looked at Edward, who was watching _Chicago_ on the television. "I miss munching on popcorn while watching a movie, don't you?" he asked without taking his eyes off the screen.

Bella laughed softly to not let on that she was bothered with something. What really disturbed her was that she had always been content about everything in her life until now. She had a devoted husband and his supportive family; her bright and beautiful daughter was with a man she could trust; her father was out of harm's way because of her resistance to human blood. But craving for a vampire's "proper" diet was becoming more and more unbearable.

This was not the first time this had happened; Edward and Carlisle had once told her that they all get cravings like this from time to time. It was completely normal, they said; _they_ were the mavericks around here. Jasper had reassured her many times before that abstaining from human blood was worth it. When was the last time Jasper had told her that? When was the first? It was hard to keep track now that she hadn't been seeing Charlie for fear that he would notice that she hadn't been aging. She hadn't been able to count his wrinkles and white hairs. How long had it been? Each day had become just like the next. It had become hard to tell how many days had passed.

None of them ever had to work for anything, and hunting for animals to feed on was a pinch. Nothing had changed in her feelings for Edward or for anyone in the family. There was nothing she could ask for. But now that she was craving blood from two children, Bella felt there had been something missing in her life and she hadn't realized it all this time.

"Edward, how old are Leah's children?" asked Bella.

"The boy, the older one, is eight years old," said Edward, in the middle of Billy Flynn's introductory number. "His little sister is five."

"They smell particularly appetizing to me. Is that normal?" asked Bella, trying to sound as nonchalant as she could.

"No," said Edward, "but it happens. You know how attracted I was to your blood. And you know how James was equally attracted to Alice's."

"Why does it happen though?"

"Body chemistry, I suppose," said Edward. "Roxie Hart is supposed to be attractive, but Renee Zellweger's breasts are almost nonexistent in this movie!"

"Why is that?"

"Producers thought she wouldn't be as attractive if she's overweight. I think it's ridiculous. You know what ___rubenesque___means, right?"

"No, I was asking about the children—why do they smell so good?" asked Bella impatiently. "Do you think their parents have something to do with it?"

"Leah smelled better than her brothers. That's for sure," said Edward. "But I think her hygienic habits have something to do with it. Living with Rosalie and Alice, I can imagine what Leah's like."

"What of the children's father?"

"That time we visited Nessie and the wolves and Seth excused himself, I think I caught glimpses of his memories there, like that day Leah dropped off her kids to Seth's house. There was also a memory of her first pregnancy and her wedding. I had never seen Leah so joyful in person."

"Go on."

"There's something about her husband. I think the weird smell was from _him_."

"What makes you say that?"

"By the time she moved out La Push to go to community college, she's become friendly with us—some of us, anyway—Rosalie and Esme in particular. If she was so happy to be married, Leah would invite them, don't you think? But she didn't. And after eight years or so, the boys haven't brought up the topic of Leah's personal life."

"They know better than to assume we're interested in Leah's personal life at all."

"That may be true, but it doesn't explain that scent that hadn't been in La Push before Leah and her husband dropped off their kids. I think they're hiding something. If there is peace between our side and theirs, there shouldn't be any secrets, right?"

"Do you _really_ think the children's father is a 'true' werewolf?"

"It smells a bit like a sick animal, but even sick animals' blood is appetizing to some extent. This one is just different; it's not quite like an animal, or a shifter, or even human."

"Do you think that explains why the children smell good by comparison?"

"Maybe—maybe not," said Edward, shrugging. "Like I said, body chemistry has more to do with it rather than genes. But I have to admit that it's also their _pedigree_ that bothers me."

"What do you mean?"

"Leah is a lycanthropic shifter and her husband is—well, he could be a lycanthrope from an _infection_. Aren't certain diseases passed on from a transfer of fluids? Maybe the children are infected but their infection is dormant like the genes that enabled their mother to transform into a wolf."

"You're worried that they'll be twice as powerful as any of the shifters when the time comes?" Bella doubted that she should be worried about having the children around. They seemed perfectly normal except for the extremely inviting aroma. She couldn't stop thinking about it.

"I don't want them around, with Renesmée in the reservation with them," said Edward.

Turning away from Edward, Bella licked her lips in anticipation.


	7. Chapter 7

_Mission Accomplished_

Atka had told them that the werewolf colony was situated away from any settlements the vampires might have. But because of their sheer strength and speed, they wandered near Anaktuvuk from time to time. Leah and Nanuq moved south of the colony. When they were far enough from the village, Leah inquired about Nanuq's planned transformation.

"Is there any difference between transforming artificially and experiencing it on the full moon?"

"Not really," said Nanuq, "except that I think and remember things more clearly when I consume monkshood. That night when Sam poisoned me, I definitely recognized you as my mate."

"Really?"

"It was your smell," said Nanuq, "your pheromones. The human courting rituals we've performed helped too."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know—going out for dinner at least twice a week, hanging out during our free time, and later confessing our feelings and then getting intimate."

"Now I know why I married you: you have better memory than the stereotypical man."

"Thanks, baby," said Nanuq.

"Did you try to kill Sam because you recognized me as your mate that night?"

"Seeing him hurt you made me furious," said Nanuq darkly.

"Wow, you do remember things more clearly when you take monkshood," said Leah.

"How can I possibly forget anyone slamming the object of my affection against a tree?"

Leah grinned and kissed Nanuq's cheek. "I guess I don't have to worry about you hurting me."

When they stopped by a river, they took off their clothes and put them in the bag Leah had brought. Leah tied it with a cord around her neck and then transformed, while Nanuq injected himself with monkshood. Leah tried not to come too near Nanuq when his body morphed painfully. While she could still hear him transforming, Leah traced their territory at a ten-meter radius from where Nanuq stood. She sniffed the area for any vampires. When she found no trace of bloodsuckers, she returned to the beautiful white wolf waiting patiently for her at the riverside.

Knowing that there was no telepathic contact to aid her on this one, Leah held herself in an authoritative posture and bade Nanuq to follow her while she searched the area for vampires. Nanuq was more than willing to follow her lead. He followed her southward, across a mountain. They traveled for several hours, drinking from the river and resting twice along the way. It was true what Nanuq said about monkshood. He was calm and patient as she searched for vampires.

When they were approaching a third river, Leah caught the pungent combination of vampire venom and human blood. Ahead, there was a tent that had been poorly built for the Alaskan wilderness in the summertime. Even without the smell to warn her, Leah could tell that whoever lived in there did not need good shelter to survive.

Nanuq began to growl softly. Leah gave him a warning look. Nanuq instantly fell quiet, but he remained eager to attack. Leah crouched toward the tent. Nanuq stayed close behind her.

The vampire must have sensed their presence. He came out of his tent. He was a big young man. He was about nineteen years old—at least he _looked_ nineteen. He had the same build as Emmett Cullen—tall—about six-foot-two perhaps—and thickset. But unlike Emmett, this vampire had blond hair, making his appearance look softer in comparison to Emmett's. His eyes were bright red, indicating that he had just fed, as Leah had guessed.

Leah could tell that he was frightened of them. He assumed a defensive stance and bared his teeth. Suddenly there was an odor so overpowering that neither Leah nor Nanuq could tell what it was or where it was coming from. Leah felt nauseated. Nanuq became furious and attacked the vampire at once. When he bit the vampire at the throat, the mysterious foul odor vanished instantly. The wolf and the vampire struggled and rolled on the ground so fast that Leah didn't know what move to make.

Nanuq grabbed him by the limbs or at the middle and shook him like a chew toy. Nanuq only lost grip when the vampire punched him at the snout. Nanuq was soothing his snout with his paw when the vampire gripped Nanuq's front leg and tried to toss him hard enough to dislocate a joint. Nanuq was hurt, but not severely injured. He saw the vampire already charging toward him.

Nanuq grabbed him at the middle and shook him again. Leah took the vampire by the legs and tore his body into half with a sickening crunch. Decapitated and unmoving, the remains of the vampire lay in a helpless heap on the grass. Leah and Nanuq broke the limbs apart. Shortly after they were finished, Leah and Nanuq reverted to human form and navigated back to the werewolf colony.

#

Nanuq dropped the sack of the vampire's remains at Atka's feet. The other members of the colony watched in awe as Atka opened the sack and took out a human jaw. It looked a bit more like a dentist's model because of the skin's marble-like consistency.

"Don't you need this?" said Nanuq, taking out an unused syringe from his jacket. "Lucky I carry these around." Leah gave him a dirty look for his comment.

Atka graciously accepted the syringe and carefully pricked the vampire's gums, the softest part of its body. It took a while before the syringe is filled with the vampire's pearly white venom. Then, he squirted the venom into a tiny pot of a simmering solution of herbs. Leah cringed at the smell.

"Please, ask him to let me burn the vampire's body now," Leah told Nanuq.

Atka immediately granted Leah's request. Outside the cave, Leah found a deep pit where the werewolves tossed in their dead or their prey and then burned them. Leah emptied the sack into the pit and tossed in a lighted match. The vampire's remains were set aflame at once. Leah returned to the cave, where she was told that the solution also needed human blood to work.

"Ours won't be effective," said Nanuq. "We need _uninfected_ human blood."

"I think mine would do," said Leah, taking out a pocket knife. She cut her palm over the pot and gave it three drops of her blood.

The solution bubbled even more vigorously. Leah's blood seemed to have neutralized the powerful vampire smell. With a smile of satisfaction, Atka transferred the pot's contents into a bowl and gave it to Nanuq. The two men muttered to each other as Nanuq accepted the brew. Leah wasn't sure whether she wanted to look or not when Nanuq slowly drank the solution. By his sour face, Leah could tell that the beverage tasted as bad as it smelled. Leah looked behind her to see some of the werewolves shuddering with disgust.

With sheer willpower, Nanuq managed to drink all of it. He was quite relieved when the ordeal was over. "Do you feel anything different, baby?" asked Leah, squeezing his shoulder gently.

"Not really," said Nanuq. "How do I know if it worked?" he asked Atka in Inupiaq.

"Here," said Atka, unsheathing his knife. He instructed Nanuq to uncover his shoulder. Nanuq took off his coat and unbuttoned his shirt halfway to comply. Very carefully, Atka made a light cut; Nanuq watched, waiting for it to heal instantly. It didn't. It stayed red and oozing blood from the capillaries underneath. Within moments, the skin around the wound began to swell, just like a normal human's would when it started to heal.

Atka smiled more broadly. "Your usual healing ability would return only when you're fully transformed—but only then. From now on, you won't heal as easily as you used to. You're mortal now," he explained.

"Thank you, my friend," said Nanuq.

"I'm glad to help," said Atka solemnly. "If you ever wish to return, you'll find me here."


	8. Chapter 8

_Blood and Sand_

The journey back to Washington State was as long as exhausting as the way to Alaska. Leah and Nanuq were both eager to see their children again. From the last motel they checked out of before going straight to La Push, Nanuq couldn't stop talking about it. "They'll be so happy! I'm okay. I'll stay okay," he said at one point, before kissing Leah on the cheek.

The sun had set when they arrived in La Push. But when Leah stopped the van in front of Seth's house, the lights were off. Something was not right.

"Where are Joel and Dinah?" asked Nanuq worriedly.

Leah stepped off the van and then caught the sickly sweet smell of vampires. "Leah, where are they?" he asked again, when Leah pinpointed the scent leading to the seaside.

"You stay here," she said to him, and she hurried toward the beach, on foot, running as fast as she could, never losing the scent.

The beach was illuminated by the twilight. The two wolf packs were there, along with Renesmée and Joel and Dinah. To Leah's horror, there also stood the Cullen family, except Carlisle and Esme.

Dinah was crying. Leah recognized it as her frightened cry.

"You can't deny it anymore, can you?" challenged Edward. "The moon is full tonight, and I heard the children musing about their father staying out on such a night."

"That's none of your business, Edward!" spat Jacob. But Leah tuned in to his thoughts and to her dismay, he couldn't help but let the memory of his first encounter with Nanuq arise. Leah saw a wicked smile creep into Edward's face when he saw that memory too.

"I thought I told you to STAY OUT OF OUR HEADS!" barked Seth in one rare display of aggression that surprised even Leah. Her children huddled around Quil at the sound of their uncle's rage.

"You _know_ it's spontaneous, like your constant contact with your pack," said Edward smugly, "which is why I'm surprised you've managed to hide it from me for so long."

"Privacy and courtesy, Edward—each of us wolves have to keep our selves sane, somehow. It's taken me seventeen years of practice; it's a shame you can't do the same in your hundred years," replied Seth coldly. "You like to pry into people's minds out of obscene curiosity."

Alice stomped her tiny foot into the sand. "Edward, the werewolf does not concern us!" she said in a clipped tone that Leah had never heard her use on Edward before. "We are breaking and entering. Your daughter may be part of their family now but that doesn't give us the right to interfere with their affairs!"

Edward sneered at his sister, "Shall we not interfere if the humans you so care about are in danger because of a werewolf on the loose?"

"_You_ don't care about the humans!" screeched Rosalie. "You just don't trust Jacob and his brothers to take care of Renesmée!"

Edward was unable to come up with an immediate response except a very ugly look that failed to conceal his shame. To this, Sam and Seth both gave him a look of shock and disgust. Jacob was heartbroken. Among them, Leah's children looked at their uncle with questioning eyes.

"You're one hundred and fifteen years old—_grow up!_" said Rosalie sharply.

"Edward, I understand your concern, but even if Children of the Moon still exist, I don't see any disaster toward us or humans caused by Children of the Moon," added Alice.

"That's because Children of the Moon can't make decisions—they just destroy lives!"

"Your hostility is unfounded, Edward. We're just causing trouble here," said Jasper, who grabbed Edward's arm. "The Quileutes are our allies now; _they'll_ be telling us if anything's wrong."

Jacob looked like he wanted to say something, but he was too hurt to speak up. Even in Leah's head, his words couldn't even come together. The others could perceive and feel it too. Even Renesmée looked faintly angry with her father but was too polite to express it.

"Edward, you idiot, it's we who don't belong here!" shrieked Rosalie. The blonde vampire grabbed her petite black-haired sister's arm and made her way to their vehicles. Edward's brothers—black-haired Emmett and blond Jasper—stayed to keep talking some sense into Edward.

"Rose is more clear-headed than we assess her to be—listen to her!" said Emmett.

"And what?—we let them keep secrets from us?" demanded Edward.

"Haven't you heard what your sisters have been telling you?" said Sam. "The treaty between your coven and our tribe might be invalid now but that doesn't mean you can just come in here meddling in our business!"

"But now that the fact that Leah's husband is a true werewolf is out in the open—"

"You stay the hell out of our way!" roared Seth. "You will not touch my sister or anybody in her family! If you do, I'll—"

Jacob interrupted Seth: "For Renesmée's sake, we've agreed to repeal the treaty. I know Leah doesn't mean anything to you. But she is a sister to all of us. In return for our caring for your daughter, you could at least respect the secret we've kept for the first she-wolf of our tribe. She might no longer be an active member of my pack but I still consider her my Beta _and_ my most cherished friend. And I will not let you take away anything that has made her happy."

That was enough for Jasper and Emmett. "If you don't want to be a monster, prove it tonight," Jasper told Edward, before leaving the beach at full speed. Emmett followed his brother shortly.

Edward looked like he was about to argue some more when bright headlights suddenly flashed at the people in the beach. Leah's heart sank when she saw her van sliding into view.

"Where are my children?" asked Nanuq as he got off the van. Completely unaware of the vampires threatening his life, he marched across the sand.

The Quileutes were frozen, not knowing what to do. But Edward sensed triumph. This looked very much like surrender to him. Just as oblivious as their father, Dinah and Joel ran toward Nanuq, who hugged them both.

"I told you, Edward," said Seth, his face uncharacteristically fierce. "You will not touch them."

But Edward was not threatened. His smooth face was calm. "I know you're here too, Leah."

Nanuq looked up at the pale young man who spoke. Edward looked at the Inuk too. Nanuq had never seen anyone like him. The "younger" man was paler than any Caucasian that Nanuq had ever encountered. That and the white stranger's unusual amber eyes reminded Nanuq of the werewolf that had infected him twenty years ago. The fear intensified when the ivory-skinned man grinned evilly at him. Then, he felt his spine elongating again.

"Didn't you know that the moon is full tonight?" asked Edward.

Jared and Embry pulled Joel and Dinah from their father, who began to writhe in pain on the sand. Then, Edward dashed at his full speed at Nanuq and picked him up by the hair.

"Edward, don't hurt him!" screamed Leah, coming out of her hiding place at last.

But Nanuq's hair had begun to grow white streaks, proving to Edward that transformation was under way.

"Edward Cullen, I am warning you," said Sam. "Don't give us a reason to harm you."

"What is this creature to you anyway? If you let him live, maybe you should quit trying to protect humans at all."

"Nanuq is not a monster, but a man whom Leah has sworn to love," said Jared. "We respect that. As Nessie's father, maybe you should do the same."

Nanuq twitched and cried out as his ribs expanded. Joel and Dinah looked away.

Leah strode toward Edward. "I know that my family doesn't belong here. But neither do you. Just because the treaty is null and void doesn't mean you can run our lives now. Tomorrow, we will leave La Push. Just don't hurt my husband, or my children."

Nanuq screamed again when his shoulder blades were momentarily dislocated when his collarbones stretched. Edward observed Nanuq's mind, which slowly dissolved into something purely instinctive. "Is this the man you have sworn to love, Leah?" he asked.

"Are you the perfect man Bella has given her self up for, Edward?" asked Leah.

Deeply offended, Edward swung a clawed hand across Leah's face so swiftly that she didn't feel anything different for a good few seconds until Dinah screamed. Leah's vision gradually became tinted with red. Then, she felt something wet dribbling toward her chin that felt warmer and heavier than tears. Beside the vampire, Nanuq could only helplessly watch as Leah's chiseled face bled profusely. Distracted from his own pain for a moment, Nanuq was suddenly consumed with rage. He let out a broken scream of fury, even as he felt all the joints in his body being forced to accommodate the unnatural changes in his body.

Indeed, the pain Nanuq experienced throughout his entire body was making thinking difficult, even if he could do it. His dark brown irises turned yellow and expanded to the corners of his eyes until there was no white to be seen. He opened his mouth wide and showed a fearsome set of long, sharp teeth. The distinctive smell of Leah's blood made the memory of her the last thing that retained his humanity when he punched the vampire between the eyes.

The force of the impact cracked Edward's brow and Nanuq's knuckles. Edward lost grip of Nanuq, who collapsed to the ground while his body changed shape.

"Leah, can you hear me?" said Seth's voice as he wiped Leah's face with a towel.

Leah's eyes stopped stinging after several blinks. Her vision cleared as her wounds were reduced to faint scratches. "Yes," she said. "Thank you, Seth." She shook her head to clear her mind. She turned to the spot where Nanuq was. Now, there stood an enormous wolf with fur of pure white.

"If you hadn't bothered coming back, your family wouldn't be in this mess!" said Bella.

"Unlike you, Isabella, I have my hands full managing two very young children and an addict husband. I had to ask Seth for help. You're clearly too used to your luxuries to comprehend what _real motherhood_ is like!" said Leah.

Suddenly, Leah felt ice-cold hands grasping her hair at the roots. "You didn't see what Bella went through to bring Renesmée into this world!" said Edward.

"Does it matter? She didn't even feel any of it!" said Leah, who knew from Jacob's memory that Renesmée had broken Bella's spine prior to tearing out of her mother's womb.

When Edward lifted his hand again to strike Leah again, Nanuq's jaws clamped on his shoulder and tossed him away from Leah. She felt the sand underneath her trembling from Nanuq's growls. He faced Edward like he was an animal that had violated his territory. Behind him, Leah watched in awe as Nanuq pulled back his lips and revealed his deadly teeth; his hairs stood on end in a defensive display.

Edward dared invade the wolf's space again, lifting his hand once more. Nanuq was compelled to strike first. Evading the vampire's blow, Nanuq took Edward bodily in his jaws and then shook him like a piece of meat.

Knowing that Edward was important to the two closest women of his life, Jacob phased and tried to pull Edward from Nanuq's grip. Sam, Quil and Embry tried to help him. Seeing what was happening to her husband, Bella's expression turned from that of terror to hostility. To Leah's horror, the vampire leapt forward and wrapped her arms around the white wolf's neck.

Remembering the newborn vampire that had almost throttled her to death, Leah bolted toward Bella and tugged the vampire's brown hair with all her might. Distracted, Bella lost grip of the werewolf and was pulled away. But Leah had accidentally tossed her too near little Dinah. Leah saw Bella's eyes become wide with rage and hunger, like that of a snowy owl in the heat of the hunt. Leah hurriedly snatched her daughter and carried her away from Bella _and_ Nanuq. But Leah's sprint was not too fast for Bella, who shoved Leah's shoulders, pushing her off her feet.

Leah dropped Dinah on the sand. Bella tried to reach for the girl, but Leah had been expecting that. She grasped the hem of Bella's shirt and tugged, keeping her daughter out of Bella's reach. "Dinah, run!" screamed Leah. The girl looked around for shelter and darted toward her uncle, who already had Joel with him.

As Bella struggled, she and Leah both heard the distinct sound of marble breaking into pieces. They saw Jacob's look of shock as Edward's head and shoulders lay on the sand in front of him. Nanuq spat the rest of Edward's body. Leah felt the hairs on her neck and shoulders stand on end.

Bella turned on Leah this time. Leah tried to make a run for it, but the vampire caught her ankles before Leah could make the first step. "You shouldn't have come back!" roared Bella, tugging Leah's ankles so hard Leah thought Bella could tear her legs at the knees.

Jacob snarled at Bella, but Bella only secured a better grip when her hands climbed to Leah's calves. Bella tugged mightily. Leah had to claw the sand. She felt very much like a puppy being tortured by a sadistic child. Leah gathered her strength and pulled her right leg from Bella's hand and then kicked her right at the face. Leah did this three more times. But Bella tightened her hold until Leah's skin was clearly bruised.

"Momma, stop it!" screamed Renesmée. But her mother was mindless with rage at the death of her husband. Bella didn't give Leah another chance to get up; Bella caught Leah's ankle when it went down for another kick. Bella gave it a sharp pull that made Leah scream. Gathering her strength, Leah flipped onto her back and kicked Bella's shoulder. She had to kick two more times before the vampire lost grip. But before Leah could even sit up, Bella dragged herself forward and wrapped her arms around Leah's legs, intending to crush them.

Deaf to her own daughter's pleas for mercy, Bella squeezed Leah's legs with her arms even as Leah slammed her fist into Bella's face and head until her knuckles bled. Soon, Leah felt her knees being bent the wrong way. Screaming, she tore off a fistful of Bella's hair. Bella instantly let go.

Leah tried to crawl away from Bella. Then, Bella leapt on top of Leah and bit hard against the Quileute woman's shoulder. The smell and taste of Leah's blood was as foul to Bella as were the rest of the shape-shifters', but she would do anything to avenge Edward.

In a few long seconds, Leah thought she would die. The venom seemed to burn her flesh and the bones underneath. The pain had made her too weak to reach for Bella's hair again. Leah wanted to scream for Nanuq, for Jacob, or for anyone that could make the vampire and her venom-lined teeth off her flesh. But Bella brutally hung on, letting the wound heal so that the next inch of flesh her venom burned would be fresh. Unable to breathe, Leah felt her blood coagulating to fight the infection. Still, Bella didn't let go. She was determined to make Leah's body fight the venom until it tires and dies. A white mist came over Leah's eyes.

_No, you can't do this to me!_ With a cry of rage, Leah summoned her wolf spirit and let it take its form with her body. Bella may have gotten what she wanted, but she wasn't getting anything else; she wasn't going to have Joel and Dinah. More importantly, she wasn't going to kill Nanuq. Leah roared at Bella who had let go of Leah when the latter transformed. The vampire bent her knees, leaned forward slightly, clawed her hands and hissed at the grey she-wolf. Leah's wound bled freely, expelling the venom from her body and destroying the traces of it that remained.

When Leah snapped her jaws threateningly, Bella's face became tense. _Where is your protective Adonis now?_ Leah wanted to say. But now she let her moves do the talking. Leah lunged when Bella tried to run away. Leah chased after her and easily caught up, catching Bella's leg between her jaws. _At least we get to kill _some_ vampires_, she remembered Jacob saying. Leah sure was glad to kill this one. Her wolf brothers could only look on in horror as Leah tore off Bella's leg and then her head from the rest of her body.

Renesmée was hysterical with grief not too far away. Jacob was trying to calm her down but was distraught himself. Jacob didn't want to express it immediately, but he believed that Bella and Edward had it coming for assaulting them first. Leah glanced at Nanuq, who was nudging the pieces of Edward's body with his snout and paws. Seth had gone to inform the rest of the Cullen family that Edward and Bella were dead and that their bodies were going to be burned.

The bright moonlight slowly turned dark, enveloping the beach in shadow. An eclipse was occurring. As soon as a shadow hid part of the moon from view, Nanuq shed his white fur and turned human again. He remembered where he was. "My babies!" he gasped. He felt Leah's arms wrap around him. "They're safe, dearest," Leah whispered to his ear.

Leah spotted Sam watching them while he dragged the fragments of Edward's body toward a pile of wood. Sam looked away when his eyes met Leah's. He had been looking at the blood on Leah's shoulder and arm. It had turned black like tar, clotting in response to the venom.

Later, while the bodies were already being burned, Nanuq and Leah got dressed. He went to see his children who had been sent to bed by Seth. Leah said she would see them later. She cautiously approached Renesmée, who was sobbing in Jacob's arms. Leah touched the girl's shoulder, hoping she would not try to tear her arm off.

Jacob gave Leah a look of reassurance.

"Renesmée—Nessie," said Leah, "I didn't want to hurt you this way."

Sniffling, the dhampir lifted her soft brown eyes. "It wasn't your fault," she said. "But still …"

Leah gently patted Renesmée on the back.

Leah looked at Sam, who was poking the dead bodies with a stick. With each of their pack members having access to each of their thoughts, Leah decided there was no point dragging Sam to a private spot to say something to him. She positioned herself beside him while he watched the two dead vampires being reduced to cinders.

"You don't normally stand close to somebody you don't like, Leah. What do you want?" asked Sam stiffly.

"I haven't thanked you for helping me save my family's life," said Leah.

"It was nothing. The Cullens were making trouble; it's my job to step in."

Leah gently tapped Sam's shoulder and gave him a mischievous smile that he hadn't seen her show since they were teenagers. "Sam, I dated you long enough to know when you're being insincere. You should know I don't like dishonest people."

Sam scratched his head. "You might not believe me when I say this. I tried to kill Nanuq once; now I save him for the same reason I tried to kill him in the first place. Emily misses having you as a friend, as a sister. Knowing that reminds me that although it wasn't meant to be, what we had was special. So now that you're here and in trouble, I thought we could at least be _civil_ with each other.

"Nanuq is precious to you like Emily is to me. And with my lingering affection towards you, I figured it would be fair to make up for the damage I've caused."

Leah smiled even wider. "It's nice that we've finally made peace. You know I loved you too."

"I know," said Sam, patting Leah's shoulder gently. "I'm glad we've settled that."

The two of them looked around and found the others looking either pleased or surprised with this new development.

Leah looked up at the moon. The shadow had gone only halfway. It would take a few more hours before the shadow completely swallows up the moon and then leaves it again. Lunar eclipses were a delight for Nanuq. A few hours' break, he called them.

"You visited in good timing," said Sam. "The eclipse ends at sunrise."

Sam watched Leah's face light up with glee. "I'll go check on the kids," said Leah.

She walked back toward their houses. Nothing had changed. People had only grown older. Children had been born to replace them. Leah tried to ignore the first house she passed by. But the smell of baking muffins bade her to look, just as an older woman walked out and removed her mittens. "Leah?" called the gentle voice she had associated with sisterhood as a child. It was hard to pretend she didn't hear because Emily had seen her looking.

Despite the huge scars that disfigured her smile, Emily looked lovely. Her figure had become fuller, no doubt from having children of her own. Seventeen years had passed; Leah knew she must put the past behind her. But the memory remained.

Leah stood still as Emily hugged her. "Oh, when did you get back? I heard from Seth that you dropped off your kids a few months ago but you didn't stay to say hello. Oh, your children are the sweetest things. Why haven't you come to visit all these years?"

Leah stiffened a bit. "I think that should be obvious," she said.

Emily stepped away from her cousin sadly. "Leah …"

Leah tried to smile. "I'm sure we both wish things can be the way they were before. But I was really hurt. And I can't be here and not remember what happened. But hey, we're still cousins, aren't we? I guess I _could_ visit again if you like."

Emily hugged her again. This time, Leah reciprocated the gesture.

"I missed you," said Emily.

"Me too," said Leah. She did, more than she'd like to admit.

"Is your husband with you? I haven't met him yet," said Emily.

Leah wondered if Emily knew about what Sam had done to Nanuq ten years ago. Perhaps it would be safe to not ask. "He's checking up on the kids. They're at Seth's."

"Will you be staying long?" asked Emily hopefully.

"No. The kids want to go home. Nanuq misses them too."

"Well, drive carefully on your way back," said Emily.

"I will," said Leah, before heading to Seth's house.

Leah found Seth fast asleep on the couch. She peeked into the bedroom and found her husband and children also sleeping in the bed. Leah kissed each of them and sat on the floor.


	9. Epilogue

_I'd Do It All Over Again_

On the way back to Shoreline, Nanuq watched the scenery outside with droopy eyes. Leah combed his hair with her fingers and said, "Are you tired? You can sleep while we're on the way."

"I'm not really tired," said Nanuq, smiling weakly at Leah. "I'm just awed that we're going home just the way we left."

"I'm so glad you're still with me," said Leah, clasping his hand.

"I'm glad to stay," said Nanuq, lifting Leah's hand to his lips.

He looked at Joel and Dinah who were fast asleep in the backseat. Nanuq wanted to touch their hands and heads but hesitated to risk waking them up. Seeing them again had brought him enormous joy. He had been so afraid to never see them again, especially in those first weeks full of uncertainty. Now on the high road to recovery, Nanuq was more than willing to get clean for their sakes and for the woman sitting beside him.

When they arrived in their apartment, Joel gave his father a hug before going out of his way. The boy must have noticed that Nanuq still looked a bit ill. Leah ushered Dinah to the bathroom.

Leah was the last one to get freshened up. She found Nanuq just waiting outside the door when she got out of the bathroom with just a towel on.

"Have I thanked you for dragging me all the way to my hometown to get me clean and experience a row of adventures along the way?" he asked with his arms crossed.

"I had to do whatever I can to keep this family intact," said Leah as she went into their bedroom. "It's what any wife would do."

"I don't think so," said Nanuq, who followed her in. "Another woman wouldn't have been as brave. I couldn't imagine a random lady in the street doing the same thing for her husband."

"Mm-hmm," she said nonchalantly as she opened their cabinet. With her back to him, Leah removed her towel and dried her hair.

"I mean it," said Nanuq. He kissed her shoulder. Leah stayed still, but Nanuq could feel her muscles growing tense.

Leah faced him and curled her arms around his neck. She looked into his eyes for a moment. Then, with a sigh, she held him tighter and laid her head on his shoulder. Nanuq held her at the waist and lifted her. Leah wrapped her legs around his waist when he carried her to the bed. On the bed, Leah patiently watched Nanuq take off his clothes.

"The first night of the rest of my life," he said as he mounted her.

"And we'll stay together all the way?" said Leah.

"I'd climb mountains, cross rivers and fight vampires with you all over again and I'm sure we'd still end up here, like this."

"Good answer," said Leah, before kissing his mouth.


End file.
